Chap. XVI. THE CROSSING OF VARIETIES. 103 



life tend to keep the races distinct. On one of the Faroe 

 islands, not more than half a mile in diameter, the half-wild 

 native black sheep are said not to have readily mixed with the 

 imported white sheep. It is a more curious fact that the semi- 

 monstrous ancon sheep of modern origin "have been observed 

 to keep together, separating themselves from the rest of the 

 flock, when put into enclosures with other sheep." 6 With 

 respect to fallow deer, which live in a semi-domesticated condi- 

 tion, Mr. Bennett 7 states that the dark and pale coloured herds, 

 which have long been kept together in the Forest of Dean, in 

 High Meadow Woods, and in the New Forest, have never been 

 known to mingle : the dark-coloured deer, it may be added, are 

 believed to have been first brought by James I. from Norway, 

 on account of their greater hardiness. I imported from the 

 island of Porto Santo two of the feral rabbits, which differ, as 

 described in the fourth chapter, from common rabbits; both 

 proved to be males, and, though they lived during some years in 

 the Zoological Gardens, the superintendent, Mr. Bartlett, in vain 

 endeavoured to make them breed with various tame kinds ; but 

 whether this refusal to breed was due to any change in instinct, 

 or simply to their extreme wildness ; or whether confinement 

 had rendered them sterile, as often occurs, cannot be told. 



Whilst matching for the sake of experiment many of the 

 most distinct breeds of pigeons, it frequently appeared to me 

 that the birds, though faithful to their marriage vow, retained 

 some desire after their own kind. Accordingly I asked Mr. 

 Wicking, who has kept a larger stock of various breeds together 

 than any man in England, whether he thought that they would 

 prefer pairing with their own kind, supposing that there were 

 males and females enough of each ; and he without hesitation 

 answered that he was convinced that this was the case. It has 

 often been noticed that the dovecot pigeon seems to have an 

 actual aversion towards the several fancy breeds; 8 yet all have 



6 For the Norfolk sheep, see Mar- edited by Bennett, p. 39. With respect 

 shall's ' Rural Economy of Norfolk,' to the origin of the dark-coloured deer, 

 vol. ii. p. 136. See Rev. L. Landt's see ' Some Account of English Deer 

 1 Description of Faroe,' p. 66. For the Parks,' by E. P. Shirley, Esq. 



ancon sheep, see 'Phil. Transact.,' 8 ' The Dovecote,' by the Rev. E. S. 



1 813, p. 90. Dixon, p. 155 ; Bechstein, ' Naturgesch. 



7 White's 'Nat. Hist, of Selboume,' Deutschlands,' Band iv., 1795, s. 17. 



